Atal Innovation Mission and NITI Aayog yesterday announced their partnership with global camera company Snap Inc. to drive Augmented Reality (AR) skilling among the Indian youth.
Over a two-year timeframe, Snap Inc will train over 12,000 teachers affiliated with the Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) on AR, enabling the reach of the programme to millions of students affiliated with ATL’s network of schools.
Snap Inc also announced its partnership with the Atal Incubation Centers (AICs) to support the Indian start-up ecosystem with AR advertising boot camps, ad credits and other opportunities.
Director, Atal Innovation Mission, Dr Chintan Vaishnav said, “At AIM, we’re committed to leveraging our network of state-of-the-art Atal Tinkering Labs to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. Augmented Reality is the future – given its varied applications in a rapidly digitising India. We are excited to utilise Snap Inc’s expertise in Augmented Reality to create a cadre of GenZ students that are skilled in this futuristic technology.”
The partnership, launched on International Women’s Day, began with the launch of a nationwide Lensathon (AR-making hackathon) to run throughout the month of March. The hackathon will focus on increasing the participation of girls and young women over 13 years in AR.
Under Lensathon, Snap will host special workshops to introduce young women to AR and the skills needed to navigate the digital economy of the future. The workshops will take place at 16 all-women and five co-ed educational institutes across the country. These workshops will be hosted by Women Lens Creators, with advanced sessions led by members from the Snap Lens network for women to build AR experience in themes representing women.
Snap’s camera plays a transformative role in how people experience the world around them, combining what they see in the real world, with all that’s available to them in the digital world.
Uthara Ganesh, Public Policy Head, India at Snap Inc shared her excitement on being able to build the future of AR. “We are grateful to
Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog for giving us the opportunity to share our expertise in AR and skill students through Lens Studio. We are excited to help the Atal Tinkering Labs in its mission to create a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in India, and help India become an Augmented Reality hub,” she said.